I Can Grow It

Red apples

2011-09-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Our little apple tree has done us proud this year. Snow White couldn't resist these beauties could she? The kids have been going out and picking their own apples off the tree. It's nice to watch. Our green apples aren't doing so well, but there's still quite a good crop, they are just quite small so I think they'll go into pies or for crumbles.

Even though I've been a bit neglectful of the allotment lately there's still a plenty to bring home. I donated some marrows to the allotment shop and hopefully we'll get some more courgettes instead. There are lots and lots of tomatoes down at the allotment all just starting to ripen.

We went and dug up the rest of the spuds, because blight is sweeping the allotment. Ours are looking good though. When we dug them up we found an egg. Again! It wouldn't be so strange if it hadn't happened last year too. Last time a fox had stolen some eggs that were bound for the allotment BBQ potato salad and buried them all over the site. Surely the fox hasn't done it again? Where has it got the eggs from this time AND why is it always burying it in with my potatoes? Why not with the beans for a change?

I did wonder if my family were messing with my head and planting eggs just to freak me out. I wouldn't put it past them, but claim to be innocent. Strange things are afoot....

The chilli's in the greenhouse are doing well.

My greenhouse tomatoes won't ripen though. They don't get enough sun. It's more of a tortoise house than a greenhouse, but come on! Get red! What's the matter with you? You're a tomato, you want to be red. You should be ashamed of yourself - green skin - feel embarrassed. Red! Red! Red!

Tatton Flower Show 2011

2011-08-07T08:40:00.001-07:00

We went on the last day of the Tatton Flower Show and we got great weather. I was quite restrained because we were going away the same evening so I knew I wouldn't have chance to do lots of planting. I bought some huge wooden plant labels that I'm going to write and varnish for the allotment and a few plants.

The gardens that I liked best are the ones were the ones with a more natural feel to them.

There were plenty of silly things there that luckily I couldn't carry home on the bus. I did bring back a metal kingfisher though...hmmm.

I was so organised this year that I went round and took photo's of all the plants that I liked. That way I've got the name and what it looks like and I can look up the seeds later. Like this Tomato Soup Echinacea. That's on my list for next year.

The veg stands were amazing as always.

I think you can take ideas away from all the gardens and adapt them to your own. There seemed to be a lot of plants being built up this year. The drifts of colour were effective too on this one. I'm going to have a go at making lettuce patterns on the allotment next year. See? I was inspired.

Scarecrow

2011-07-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

We've made a bird scarer. I don't think it's going to scare off many birds, but it does look good. Amazing what a few plastic bags from the Bargain Booze shop can turn into. No? Oh well.

We made a scarecrow. Isn't it lifelike?

Here he is in all his glory. The Cat in the Allotment. He didn't win a prize, but he's a winner to us.

Look at my beautiful little baby pumpkins. If I don't grow a pumpkin this year then I won't be happy. You're supposed to feed them with beer aren't you? Well, I'm not doing that. Sorry pumpkin, I don't want you that much.

I went to help out at the open day. We did well and raised £600.00 which isn't bad considering how wet it was. The gazebos all blew away in the wind. My favourite moment was when someone opened a plastic bag for me to put some eggs in. The eggs fell straight through and smashed on the floor because the plastic bag had no bottom. I'm easily amused.

In other news - my blueberries are going blue.

July

2011-07-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

I won't make stupid jokes about my lovely pear..... it would be childish. Last year we had a grand total of one pear, this year we've got loads! No weird pear tree disease that we had last year either. Hopeful signs, unlike my apples. They've got little peckerty peck marks all over them from the greedy pigeons.

Oh dear oh dear.... Shhhh don't tell my sweetcorn but it is a source of great embarrassment. I'm ashamed of it. There, I've said it. It's pathetic. I tell it I'm proud of it and I hide my secret shame behind a fake smile.

I have inter planted my courgettes with sunflowers - not because my sweetcorn is so dreadful and I'm going to get rid of it, but because will be so aesthetically pleasing when they grow. Oh yes, that's why I've done it.

All my lugging of wood chippings in wheel barrows has paid off and my paths are looking good. The wood chip pile was smoking this morning - yes on fire!!!! I put it out. I'm like a super hero path maker. Putting out fires and building paths and before I'd even had my lunch. All in a days work.

I like it when the perennial sunflowers come out. It cheers me up.

The poppies are nice too.

I've got baby pumpkins! I'm so proud. I'm glowing. Aren't they beautiful, my little babies. Don't tell the sweetcorn it will only get jealous....

Gardeners World Live 2011

2011-06-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

This garden is called 'Grass' by Tony Smith. It was quite striking - if you like grass. The square in the middle is dug out and has a sunken seated area - made of flowers - no, don't be silly - made of grass. It's about sustainability and the way that we use grass these days. Do you use grass?

These people know how to use colour and contrast. I just chuck stuff in - nature doesn't clash right? Some of the stands are artistic perfection.

The wonderful Monty Don was there filming for Gardeners World. We hid from the cameras and watched from the edge. He's even got his red braces on. Hail the Don! Hail the Don!

We collect guitars in our house. Every one with its own specific purpose of getting in my way. They had a great idea of using them for planters....I have this idea filed away under 'Spring Cleaning'.

See what I mean? Look at this - some neater Aliums that mine in the Floral Marque.

The Delphiniums in all their glory. Mine always get slugged.

I'll try again with them next year. They are too nice to give up on. Some people don't like fox gloves in our house, but it was pointed out that 'you can't have a cottage garden without them' and it's right. How can you not like these? I'm planting some next year - shhhhhh don't tell and nobody will notice.

Fancy them letting a live gorilla in. You'd think it would be dangerous. He just stayed up there like a statue - amazing.

The carnivorous plants are always a bit Tim Burtonesque. On the way out we saw an old man and his wife with bags of them - you can't always trust the old timers - vicious streak well hidden under all that beige clothing.

The orange and reds in this garden were so vivid and vibrant they were like fire. Yes! Fire!

Nice roses - I saw a purple/blue one but it was gone when I went back for it. Next time Mr. Rose you will be mine.

What are these called? I've forgotten - they have them abroad - the ones from abroad we'll call them.

'Simple Elements' by Stephen Cobb. A garden to be viewed rather than used. The different elements representing fire, water, earth and wind. Far too neat and tidy for me to recreate, but I like the idea of living sculpture. We should have more of it.

This one is 'Remember the Dream' by Yvonne Mathews in honour of Macmillan Cancer suppot. There is a wishing pool and a place to sit and dream. It was a mass of pinks roses and clematis leading to the swing where you can reflect and breath in the scent of lavender and sweet peas. Every hospital should have one of these gardens.

The bonsai trees are always incredible at these shows.

They are like little works of art.

I like aliums. Hurrah for aliums. They are kind of fun.

This is the garden that Monty was filming in. He mentioned the combination of flowers and vegetables together. This is probably how my allotment should look and if I had more space it would do. It's got to be the best way to trick the naughty pigeons and to attract the good bug eaters.

Fancy a sit down? I'd pinch this idea if i had a big garden. It would be really easy to do. There should be more of this too. Why don't they put some of these in the parks? I'm always tempted into doing some gorilla gardening when I look around our boring town. I don't think I'd get away with this recreating this one though...

We stumbled upon Joe Swift in The Bodgery garden designed by Chris Myers.

What is a Bodger? They make parts for chair makers but never the whole thing - hence an unfinished job becoming known as a bodged job. This fella with a beard is the bodger that inspired the garden. He does that job for real - in real life. I liked the little hut built in the hillside with the smoke coming out of the top and the workman in his rural setting turning the wood. Natural and scruffy - like me. Well scruffy like me. Not sure why the scarecrow was advertising back supports though - oh well.

So there we are. I had sore feet afterwards, but I was really restrained, I only bought a magazine. I have come away with inspiration instead. Happy to have stood in the presence of the gardening god that is Monty Don. Hail the Don! Hail the Don! etc. A grand day out Gromit.

Nets Done

2011-06-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share my cottage look front garden with you. We've got loads of bees. Scruffy is best for wildlife right?

The strawberries are starting to turn. Just made it in time to net them up and put the straw down today. It's more fun if you do things at the last minute right?

I've got some broad beans starting to come. Saved them for the kids to pick when we go up on bikes this week.

In other news I've bought my grow bags and my tomatoes are doing quite well thank you very much.

Sad news too though, my giant pumpkins have gone! Where are they? As if someone dug them up and stole them because they were so beautiful. Actually, I think they have been viciously eaten. Anyway, I might have to cheat now and buy a couple of squash plants. I've got one sad looking one left that is still in the greenhouse. Planted up some sweet peas today and finally strimmed the grass. Even treated ourselves to some new choppers so that there's more chance of the grass getting a trim (I also cheated and bought a courgette plant from the shops while I was there - mine are all dead, may they rest in pieces eaten to death by passing slugs).

May

2011-05-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

There wasn't anybody else at the allotment today. It was fabulously quiet and peaceful. Apparantly they have installed CCTV... somewhere, but is so C that I could SEE it. Very high tech and it's better to be safe, but can't help thinking that it is probably all down the other end of the site where my plot isn't - so I'll just be left lying in a puddle of blood and unsuccessfull planting if anyone did attack me anyway.

Still, there was no blood today. Just ants biting me. I didn't get ants in my pants, but I did get them all over my hands and shoes... and they hurt.

As I was alone I thought I'd take the opportunity for an undisturbed erection (see above). I don't like being watched by the old men while my erection is starting to go up, it puts me off. Theirs are always so much more impressive than mine. I always think they're laughing at me. This year I've gone for the 'tunnel' look with cane on the top. Fancy eh? No?

And by the way making crap jokes about cane erections, is funny EVERY year, EVERY year I tell you and shall continue to be so (for me anyway).

Some of my canes were all rotten - who would have thought that wood would rot if it was left out in the rain and snow?

Let your teeth into that lot... My radish crop has got lots of little biddy bite marks out of it. Shame...but, I pulled out a couple of nice spring onions. Big fat babies.

The beetroot is looking good.

Sign of spud growth. So I covered them.

My little iddy biddy leeks have sprouted. Some people are talking about transplanting theirs and chopping the tops off.... I'm sure mine were alright to plan last month. Anyway, they are growing, but aren't ready just yet for top and tailing just yet...

Look see, I have grown something! Broad beans, with lots of flowers on. Hurrah! No sign of any black fly ... yet, something has been nibbling at the leaves though.

I know, look at the state of them. I put my sweetcorn and my pumpkins in. It might be too early, but I've done it. My sweetcorn was going yellow - it's not meant to be doing that yet. Be green please! Anyway, they are in and Monty would have been proud of me. My green manure (rye grass) that I planted and dug over had rotted down beautifully in this bed and has made wonderful rich soil. I am definitely going to do that again next year. Although it did take until now to rot down, so it will only do in a bed that isn't needed until May/June time I guess. Or not? I don't know.... it seems to have worked so far anyway. The soil is great, the plants aren't.. but, I have grown them myself. They might be spindly and sad looking, but they are all my own work.

That's about it. I've done most of the jobs that were on my list... I haven't netted my strawberries..... gulp. They've got loads on too. Don't worry, I'll do it. The worst hated job. Netting.

Things to remember to do:

Plant some more beans direct

Buy another grow bag

Dig up that big mad lemon mint

Get some more planks round

Do the scarecrow! - important job

Stupid nets for stawberries and brassicas

Oh yes, strim the edges - very important to stay in good books of important allotment lady

Erm, oh yes plant stuff...

April

2011-04-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

A good day today at the allotment. I wanted to do lots of watering, but a greedy grabbing old couple hogged the tap for over and hour with their hose. I managed to lug some watering cans around and get a bit done though, I will not be bullied by pensioners. They were nice too and smiled and waved to me. Greeding grabbing nice people are the worse kind of tap hogs.

Here are my forget me nots, I know you can't eat them, but they are too pretty to ignore. So these are everywhere. I'll just rip them out when I need the room.

Broad beans surviving. Strangely not dead after they have not been watered for ages.

Pulled out my old broccoli plants. Seemed a shame, they are nicer than any flowers in the gardens on our street. A bee agreed with me and followed me back to the car buzzing around my head while I got rid of the old plants.

Look at my lovely trench. It is a work of art. A work of shallow art. This soil looks like it was easy to dig, but it wasn't. It was like a piece of dry dusty old rock. I realised I'd built my potato trench in the wrong place so I had re-do it after consulting with my plan. Plan?! Yes, there is a plan. I know that everyone else put their potatoes in ages ago and dug their trenches in February, but I like to be different. They're in now anyway.

Last of the leeks. Goodbye my friends. I've sown a new batch today.

Got some plenty of salad leaves on the go at home. Planted some more at the allotment today too.

I dug in all my green manure too. It better improve my soil or I'll be an unhappy bunny. It was hard work today.

I have been so tardy of late that I didn't put in any red onions. I found them waiting in the storage box. Too late for you little onions. Yes? Of course! Guess what I've done? I'm such a bad gardener that I've put them in anyway with their big fat white cousins who are doing rather well now. If they are tiny little tichy ones I'll just have them in my salad. Waste not want not.

I have got asparagus! Yes! I've got some spindly ones and some big fat mothers that I've snipped off. Hurrah.

Things to do:

Nets. Nets. Oh no, I've got to net my strawberries next........ groan, they are full of flowers. Tried to put in some canes today and they just snapped, the soil was that hard.

I must go and cut the grass next too before I get told off.

Get some grow bags! Think someone is having some kind of wedding tomorrow, but I'm going to buy my grow bag instead.

Re pot my pumpkins.

Plant some more seeds.

Weeding - obviously.

The paths could do with a bit more bark on them, but I don't think that is going to happen.

Put the canes in for the runners.

Ok. I'm organised now. I know what I need to do.

Lugged back a massive load of weeds that filled up the boot of the car. Shhhh don't tell my husband, he loves it when I use the car for my soil shifting. He doesn't need to know I put the old manure bags in there either. Ignorance is bliss.

The problem with going to the allotment is that I have to go straight back because there is always too much to do. I can feel my back seizing up already after one day too. Oh yes, and if you see the slug that ate my giant sunflowers, give him a stoney Paddington stare from me. Thanks.

About time

2011-03-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

My sweet peas and broad beans are starting to sprout.

The window sills in the house are now looking like they are meant to for this time of year. Have planted up lots of seeds today.

Pumpkin - Big Max

Cucumber - Zeina

Courgette - Solei

Sweet corn - Sweet Nugget

Spouts - Fill Basket

Broccoli - Purple Sprouting Early

Broccoli - Red Arrow

Kale - Dwarf Green Curled

Tomato - Losetto

Parsley

Beetroot - Boltardy

Coriander

Beetroot - Pronto

Lettuce - Concarde

Lettuce - Webb

Courgette - Black Beauty

Poached Egg Plant

Gaillardia

Cosmos

Artichokes - Green Globe

Dwarf Beans - The Prince

Chilli - Pyramid

Swiss Chard - Rainbow

Nasturtiums

Climbing Beans - Yellow and Black

Runner Beans and Broad Beans (from last years plants)

I've planted leeks too even though I'm too late, I can't do without leeks, so even if they don't work I've stuck them in anyway. I'll eat them small if I have to. It's no good if I can't torture my family with my leek soup.

I'm not a plastic gardener anymore now that I've actually got my hands dirty. It's good to be filthy, go on people get out there and get dirty.

Hurrah

2011-03-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've cut my hands. I've got a sore finger, (ouch). My coat is ripped to bits by brambles and caked in mud.

I'm back!

Got some good work done today, I've even got sore bits so that means I tried really hard. Next job, sort my seeds out and plant like crazy because I've not got much in yet. I'm a poor show this year, but I promise to catch up.

Some seeds in!

2011-02-22T02:39:00.000-08:00

Went yesterday to renew our fees and dug up a few more leeks and found few more parsnips.

My helper planted some broad beans which we've put under the cloche.

The rhubarb is starting to come up now. Please ignore the weed at the bottom, I'll pull it out later, promise! It was very cold on Sunday and I only had thin gloves on. Excuses, excuses. Got some potatoes 'Desiree' and 'Maxine' and some 'Red Baron' onions to plant up later. So hey, I'm getting slowly organised. Oh yes and I've started a twitter account too so if you're into all that, this is me here SJLuddem. Happy digging!

I've been!

2011-01-28T05:57:00.000-08:00

There has been mentions of potato chitting, oh no, I've not got any yet! February is nearly here so I though I must go to the allotment before they throw me off. I went this morning and I'm glad because it was a really nice day. Once you go you are already planning the next visit, there's always something that you need to get on with. My little friend the robin came and joined me, it was just the two of us, lovely and peaceful.

On the way there my bike knows that I have been neglecting it and the gears decided to lock up whilst going up the big hill (big for me). They would only change to the lower and lower gears (or is the higher ones)until it reached the killer one that you aren't meant to do hills in and locked up. I made it with my thighs on fire to the allotment ready to collapse and then the bike unstuck itself and all the gears started working again. No comment.

I did a bit of weeding and digging and found a prize, some forgotten about parsnips. Lucky me.

I shared an unfortunate worm with my little friend the robin. He took it and went to hide under a tree with it as though there was a chance that I might nick it back again. I guess worms are precious when the soil is still a bit frozen.

All looking not to bad at the allotment considering my lack of care. That green stuff is winter tares by the way, not weeds, so don't judge me too harshly. Put on a couple of cloches to warm up the soil for planting my broad beans. Grabbed a couple of stray brambles and brought them home to thread through my fence, wouldn't it be terrible if that burglar that tried to break in over Christmas came back and got himself scratched to bits? It would be a real shame for him. I will be getting more next time I go... and jobs a good'un.

Lazy

2010-12-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

The snow is good, and the perfect excuse to be lazy. All the plants that I have been too lazy to clear are looking good. My sunflowers in the front garden look great with snow on them, I would have kept the teasels anyway for the birds. My sunflower excuse is that I left them on purpose too. It's all for the birds. Sometimes its good to be lazy.

Mulch time

2010-11-18T02:10:00.000-08:00

Hope your November went off with a bang.

I have been very lazy lately. So lazy that I even got my neighbour to bag up his leaves for me to make mulch. Well, he was sweeping them up anyway, might as well put him to good use. I think he thought I was a bit nuts. Today I have been very good and swept up mine too. They are bagged up and ready for mulching.

Spooky

2010-11-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Happy halloween, hope you have been treating your pumpkins unkindly.

Sleepy tortoise.

2010-10-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

Flash is very tired, so we took his house away on Monday and put him on the soil. He still had his eyes closed.

The green manure is working. Clover.

Grazing rye.

Phacelia.

We've got some kale happening.

The tortoise food is what seems to be growing best. He won't be needing it for a while now.

Went to check on him and he had dug down ready for winter. Good night Flash, see you in spring, it is officially the end of summer now.

The pear harvest is in

2010-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Massive pear harvest of one pear. It was the best tasting pear ever. Shared between four people.

Cinderella your carriage awaits

2010-09-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Success! Our first ever pumpkin. Small is beautiful.

Got my over wintering onions and garlic ready to plant from the allotment shop. The onions are Senshy, I think the garlic is solent white.

We put in some green manure, it is starting to come up now. We planted winter tares, grazing rye and phacelia. Hopefully this will help keep the weeds at bay over the winter and do some good to the soil when we dig it in next year.

Dorset

2010-09-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

We've been to Dorset for a couple of weeks. The place we stayed was up in the hills and we saw birds of prey like the one above just sitting on telephone poles by the side of the road.

We found lots of fossils like this ammonite at Charmouth Beach.

And had a little visitor in the garden every day, a hedgehog, ahhh! At night there were loads of bats swooping down (I think I saw the teeth of one it came so close) and the owls hooting.

I wasn't quite quick enough to get a good shot of the birds of prey that we saw every day but trust me they were amazing. The village was called Powerstock they had a great pub there but no shop or phone signal, just the old church. Makes you realise how you get used to having so much on your doorstep.

This is the one track lane was like to get there. It went on like this for miles. Nice to escape from the world for a week or two.

Very peased

2010-09-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Not updated things for a while. I've been busy! We got real peas, that actually look like real peas this year so I was pleased.

Autumn raspberries are doing really well. They seem to be always a lot better than the summer ones so I'm glad I planted both types.

Here are the remains of our raspberry ice cream. It went down very well! Half a pint of double cream, a pound of raspberries, juice of a lemon and 4 oz sugar, puree all the fruit then bung it in the ice cream maker, very nice.

Here are the visitors that we had for a week, courtesy of the school to look after. Thank goodness they survived the week with us.

I picked my lavender and had some bunches of it in the hall to combat the stinky guinea pig visitors, worked a treat. They needed cleaning out every day. They were quite cute though, for a week anyway....

Fruit

2010-07-27T04:06:00.000-07:00

Look at our apples. I'm pretty chuffed with these, it's a dwarf tree but we only planted it last year so it's done pretty well. There are lots of apples on it this year.

Look, real apples! This one has even got droplets of morning rain on it.

The blueberries are really fat as well this year. Must be all the recent rain that has swelled them up. Since we got the hosepipe ban here it hasn't stopped raining.

I've grown teasel this year, we have got them all along the back fence. They are lethal, really spiky, probably not the best plant to put in a garden with children but they are pretty and are attracting lots of bees and hoverflies. The seeds should attract goldfinches too later on, we'll see. So if you are thinking of scaling my back fence be prepared to get spiked. Ouch! Serves you right.

Recipe for raspberry and white chocolate muffins

2010-07-12T03:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Rob the recipe for the muffins is:

150g (5 oz) self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
100g (4 oz) soft brown sugar
50g (2 oz) melted butter
1 egg lightly beaten
125 ml (4fl oz) milk
half teaspoon vanilla essence
100g (4 oz) raspberries
50g (2 oz) white chocolate chips
half teaspoon demerera sugar

oven gas 4, 180 degrees C

Mix the dry ingredients, lifting with fingers to incorporate air. Melt butter, beat together egg, milk, vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients to wet mixture (don't beat).

Fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin cases. Sprinkle sugar over the muffins. Bake 25 mins until well risen and just firm.

Eat them!

Raspberry muffins

2010-07-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

If you've got a glut of raspberries and you've done jam and crumbles, I recommend making some raspberry and chocolate muffins. The raspberry melts inside the cake and goes all gooey. Delicious.

Ooo matron what a lovely pear

2010-07-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

Don't know if you remember my pear tree last year. The leaves had some wierd stuff growing on them. I moved it down the side of the house for its final chance. There have been a couple of yellow leaves this year that I have had to pluck off but it has managed to grow a pear on it.

It will probably be like the poisoned witches apple from snow white so I'm not sure about eating it though.

2010-06-29T13:24:00.001-07:00

Tip of the day, please try drunken gardening. It is a good experience. Get out the watering can and a cold beer and enjoy. No pruning though please.

Poor Tina

2010-06-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Tina Turner is going to be so upset, she can't stand the rain against her window but I am very pleased with this weeks showers. Sorry Tina but my plants need a good soaking but it makes it super easy to pull out the shocking number of weeds that I 've cultivated.

I am on a mission to get things back on track weed wise despite the rain. On Sunday I had planned to weed my brassica bed but was shamed into doing the raspberry bed instead as the man in the plot next to ours was glancing over at my weed jungle. The wet ground made it an easy job and I came home all covered in mud.

This is the first crop from the allotment, I've had lettuce and salad leaves from the plants at the house but it's nice to pull something up from the ground, even if it is a radish.

Impressive Things

2010-05-13T05:51:00.001-07:00

We went to London at the weekend. This is the wisteria at Kew Gardens. It is over 100 years old. They have trained it so that it forms a huge den that you can go and sit inside. How fantastic is that? It is slightly more impressive than mine. I started growing it last year, it is a spindly little thing, but in one hundred years time who knows, or dares to dream...

The children planted these tulips.

Oh yes, check out my prize winning parsnip. I haven't put soft focus on this picture by the way because I have fallen in love with the parsnip. Someone, possibly a small child put a big thumb print on the lense of the camera. But the parsnip is impressive is it not? It is good when you are as easily pleased as me, there is a lot to be happy about.

Blossom

2010-04-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

There is blossom everywhere. I like it. The cherry trees at the back of the house are really pretty in spring. It is their way of giving us compensation for blocking out our sun for the rest of the summer.

Our cherry tree was on its final warning. Last year it was an embarrassment to us all. There was one tiny bit of blossom hanging off a branch and it has produced a total of 2 cherries in three years. We told it, you're getting the chop if you don't buck up. It has heeded it's warning. Our amateur pruning may have worked, we no longer have to hide our faces in shame when we come out of the front door. It may be too much to ask for to actually get cherries but we have the flowers so there is hope.

Do you remember my disgusting mangy disease ridden pear tree? I moved it so that it didn't spread its gross diseases to everything else and look, it has not only come back to life but has got blossom on it too. Fingers crossed.

When the wind blows all the petals from the trees behind the house fall all over the garden. It's like confetti.

I put my bean poles up too, including swirly bird scarers on the end which just look pretty and don't scare the birds. The world is good this week.

2010-04-19T06:24:00.001-07:00

The spuds are in (finally).

lotta broccoli

2010-04-16T04:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the entire broccoli harvest. It was enough to feed two children one meal. It was worth growing for a year. I did rubbish with all the brassicas this year. I am going to take care of my little seedlings better this year and there will be muchos broccoli next year, oh yes there will be.

The asparagus has survived the winter. Not sure if I need to protect them from the slugs and birds though. It is only their second year this year so we will have to wait a bit before we can eat any. Don't want those filthy slugs ruining all my efforts. Have planted out some lettuce, spring onions, radish, beetroot and perpetual spinach under a cloche. A good day at the allotment with no dead animals to find and no fellow allotmenteers arguing with their spouses. Just nice sunshine and wonderful silence.

Lovely Muck

2010-04-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

These are the bean seeds that I saved from last year. They have since been planted. They have got a Jack and the beanstalk feel to them. I love these big fat seeds, they are really tactile. I probably would have swapped the cow myself.

Mmmmm delicious. This is the compost I've been fermenting. It is good stuff I am so happy happy. Hurrah!

I made it in my whirly turny darlik compost maker or Blackwall Composter if you want to get it right. I chose this one because we had a rat once in a compost heap and I don't want a new resident in the garden. Although if you keep poking at the compost it deters rats I'd rather be safe. The rats can't get in here. I wouldn't have such a posh one for the allotment we've just got a pile there and a plastic bin.

I can now refill it and start turning again, I'm happy. Compost is good.

Spring has sprung

2010-03-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

Spring is here. The primroses are out. I love these wild primroses. They do really well and they keep their colour. If you plant these you will soon have them all over your garden, they seem to clump up quickly. Yellow flowers in spring really cheer me up. I'd have a garden full of these if I could.

Look who stuck his head out yesterday. Yes flash has decieded to wake up. Spring is officially here. This is a sure sign that the weather is perking up.

Today he emerged from his hole and had a sniff around.

Then later on this morning he emerged fully.

He looks a bit grumpy but he's had a long sleep and he's an old bloke. Don't judge him. Bet you don't look brilliant in the mornings either.

Hurrah spring is here! Best get planting.

2010-03-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

I've done it, the onions are in! I have dug and scraped about in the dirt until my fingers literally bled. That's dedication for you, or brambles for you actually.

Felt great to get back there doing a bit, although there are too many lovely broad bean plants on other peoples plots for my liking. And did I mention that the dead mouse has gone? It must have been snatched by another animal. See, it does pay to be a coward sometimes.

Seeds

2010-03-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

Had a look at what I was doing this time last year gardening wise. All my seeds were a lot further advanced than this year. Maybe I was too keen last year though, it has been cold cold cold. My seeds have started emerging though so I am not a total failure. Potatoes are chitting away in the porch too.

Flash the tortoise was also out of hibernation by now, hopefully he will be waking up soon... It's probably the coldest winter he's ever endured so hopefully he will be alright.

Note to self. Must plant onions this week!!!!!

Holidays

2010-02-25T05:52:00.000-08:00

We went to Wales at half term. Going on holiday in the British Isles in February is a good idea. One day it is like this.

And the next day it is like this. Brilliant. You can't beat it.

I thought I had been restained this year in my seed buying. Until I got out last years seeds and put them with my new ones. I guess I wasn't so restrained after all, oh well, some women buy shoes. I buy seeds.

Present

2010-02-03T05:01:00.000-08:00

Latest visit to the allotment awarded me the prize of a dead mouse - or small dead baby rat. I did not take a photo of it for you because it was vile. The children spent a lot of time shouting 'it's gross, let me see it' etc. Tried to be the brave adult and move it but just ended up poking at it with a spade and feeling queezy. Then spent the rest of the time squeeling 'Don't go near the mouse thing', 'keep back', and 'don't tred on it' a lot. Have bravely left it there for - the fox, a cat or the husband to remove. Yuk.

Get organised

2010-01-25T02:14:00.000-08:00

Wasn't the snow meant to kill all the weeds? They are still there.

Pulled up some leeks this weekend, need to get the rest out now. Time to start planning what to do next and to do some tidying up perhaps? I've forgotten when to start chitting potatoes, and what seeds get planted when.

This week, I will get organised, (she says).

Ahhh aren't they tweet?

2010-01-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

We spotted some redwings this week which is very unusual. They have been driven into suburbia to looko for food by the bad weather. Don't forget to do your bit to feed the birds and put them out some water too.

Ho ho ho!

2009-12-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

Real snow, snow that creaks when you walk on it! We have built snowmen and been sledging. Just like Christmas is meant to be. Have a good one!

Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-17T03:56:00.000-08:00

Ho ho ho and happy Christmas (nearly). We bought a Christmas tree last year and decieded that we would keep it in the garden and bring it in each year. This was meant to be both eco friendly and nice. The idea was that the tree would grow to a fabulous and beautiful size and be our special tree.

One of the children that came round last year said 'Your tree is really small. Our tree is really big' and I said smugly 'Yes but our tree will keep growing and growing and next year it will be huge'. If the child comes round again this year he will be laughing at my tree again. It didn't seem to have grown. When I went to look at it in December it was tiny still and slightly brown in places, like a tree for poor elves.

Lack of growth could be due to the fact that it was pot bound and stuck in the shade at the side of the house. Undeterred I chopped off the brown bits and replanted it in a giant pot. This was very cunning because as the pot is a third of the height of the tree it has made it a more respectable size. Now the tree now goes up to my nose and we have brought it inside. It weights a ton however and may have to stay in our living room forever.

A few pets have emerged from the tree. We have had one ladybird, one woodlouse and there is a little spider living in the star at the top. We've let him stay, well it is Christmas.

I did actually go to the allotment, hurrah! It was cold, and unsurprisingly I was alone. I just mooched about. I cut some holly, bay, rosemary and ivy to drape around the house. We always used have holly at Christmas when I was a nipper so it is nice to have my own holly bush on the allotment so that I can recreate the bad bug filled decorations of the past.

I picked a few leeks and I've managed to grow some parsnips which is very exciting for me because I have never grown a parsnip before, as you can see in the picture there is a bountiful crop of giant parsnips, (you might need to look very closely but they are there). I am easily pleased.

Rubbish

2009-12-09T05:33:00.000-08:00

Just realised it's been a month since I've been allotmenting (again). I am a shameful and disgraceful person. Will go this week, by putting this in writing it means I have made an official promise to myself and my poor leeks.

November Tidy Up

2009-11-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

I have actually done some work at the allotment. Yes, it is true. I've put my onions in at last, hurrah. The beans have been pulled out and all the old sweetcorn. I pulled up a few hundred weeds so it is looking better.

The spinach was still going strong and the rainbow chard was looking good.

This is how things are looking at the moment. Not too bad. There are paths that need to be put in and I want to get rid of the grass at the back. I cut the asparagus down to the ground because it had gone yellow. I wasn't sure if this was right or not because they say don't cut it in the first year, but I'm guessing that its alright to do it now it is Autumn. Well, I hope it's alright anyway. I covered the crowns with some of the leaf mulch that we made last year, it is good stuff, shame there wasn't more of it. I need to go leaf collecting again this year.

A bit late for bonfire night pictures I know but here is a picture of our rocket. Very impressive for us.

But you still can't beat a good sparkler.

Digging In

2009-10-29T04:10:00.000-07:00

The trees are so great. It isn't exactly Vermont around here but you still can't help looking up.

Flash hasn't been out of his house for a month so I put him in the dirt to see if he was ready to dig in for the winter.

The light is great at the moment. Artists everywhere must be getting their brushes out.

Can you spot Flash?

All offically tucked in before the leaves have fallen.

Lousy chickens

2009-10-26T03:02:00.000-07:00

Plans to plant my onions this week have been foiled by the chicken pox. Grounded again!

Winter lettuce

2009-10-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

My winter lettuce is tucked up in the greenhouse. The children planted them from seed that I got from the Gardeners World Live show in summer. My sweet pea is still giving it some in the garden. I haven't been picking them either. It is obviously determined to stay for as long as it can.

Finally I've Been!

2009-10-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

I have finally been to plant my garlic. It has been three shameful weeks since I have done any work on the allotment.

As I got closer to the plot I saw this gorgeous sunflower. I was a bit envious I must admit because ours weren't much to write home about. When I got closer I had a nice surprise. It was ours! What a dingbat.

I came home with spinach, baby corn (more like medium corn), runner beans (which are still running and producing new beans, I thought they'd be all dried up now and ready to collect for seed), some baby leeks and some chives.

The weeds were pretty bad, you couldn't even see my asparagus because the weeds have grown over them. And they hate the weeds, poor things. If Monty Donn saw it he would probably have to go and lie down for a bit with the horror of it all. I got through some of it, there's more to do another day.

This is the pinacle of my shame. The radish on the left is a normal sized radish. The two on the right have grown to a cartoon size. The one in the middle has even got so sick of waiting to be picked that it has started to grow another mutant baby radish underneath it (see the white one, that is attached). Shameful radish picking.

The change

2009-10-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

A bee having a rest on my vebena, one of the successes grown from seed this year.

I spotted this cyclamen under the acer tree the other day. It is so tiny and delicate.

The weather has turned quite nippy now. My garlic is waiting in the porch to be planted, it is not impressed that I haven't done it yet. Flash the tortoise has stopped eating now and has not been out of his house for a couple of weeks now, I will be taking away his house in a few weeks so that he can hibernate. Summer is over!

Special apple

2009-10-02T01:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to the allotment for a while. My plans to go this week were foiled by children getting stomach bugs. I have mowed the grass at home though, so at least I have ventured outside.

We picked our special apple yesterday. It is special because it is our only apple. It managed to survive the summer of other peoples children trying to fell it with plastic golf clubs. To reward its resilience we cut it into pieces and ate it. Another bountiful feast where everyone gets a slice each.

What a tart

2009-09-26T08:21:00.001-07:00

I made some of my plums into this plum tart from Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook. The foggy looking bit in the middle is the steam coming off the plums. Thanks Sarah! It was really nice with some vanilla ice cream.

plumtastic

2009-09-24T05:12:00.001-07:00

My neighbour has just popped round with a few plums! Check it out. This is a lotta lotta plums. I'm going to have to find some plum related recipes now I guess.

Change is afoot.

2009-09-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

It has suddenly gone a little bit colder. People are putting on their central heating, but not us yet. I looked out of the window and a load of yellow leaves fluttered down from the sky. I'm quite looking forward to Autumn now.

What's this?

2009-09-18T02:46:00.001-07:00

I didn't get any pears from my pear tree this year. We've only had it for 2 years though. It doesn't look very well though. Some of the leaves look like this.

And underneath there is this really gross alien thing. Does anyone know what it is and any recommended tips for getting rid of it?

Onion Wreath

2009-09-18T02:31:00.000-07:00

We had a nice sunny week last week, this is the suburban sunset we got. Not bad really considering we are on a scummy street and not amongst the lakes and mountains.

Never mind the leaves changing colour. Flash is the one to watch to tell you all you need to know about the seasons. He is slowing down now, and is unwilling to come out so often anymore. Yesterday he spent the day just peeping out of his house and didn't venture into the garden at all.

Do you like my onion and chilli wreath? It is in the porch. I suspect that any of Tim Burton's characters would be proud to have this hanging up in their house. Some people might think that this looks a bit strange. Certainly some of the house proud mothers that I talk to would be horrified to have this monstrosity shedding onion skin for all to see.

However, one of the neighbours noticed it and brought me round a big bag of home grown plums because she thought that I would like them. Hurrah. She said there's more to come and apples too, so the wreath has done me proud. Everyone should hang up a couple of vegetables in their window, just to see what happens.

I've pulled out the tomatoes and got the last of them ripening up on the window sill. Thinking of making some chutney...

Rodents from the skies

2009-09-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the allotment to do some necessary weeding. It was a gloriously sunny day and I was happily walking down the lane without a care in the world. As a walked under an overhanging tree it started shaking and bending down towards me. I know that when trees grab at you it is not a good thing. It is classic horror film material and to be avoided at all costs. As it got nearer a squirrel went scrambling across the branch hanging on for dear life and luckily avoided landing on my head. This made me less relaxed for the rest of the walk.

I spent the rest of the time looking upwards though incase of further attack.

And realised that we don't always see what is right under our noses. So why not look upwards for a change? See things from a different perspective.

But watch out for man holes.

Manchester Blogging

2009-09-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

You can nominate your favourite Manchester based blog now at www.manchesterblogawards.com. Kate Feld from the Manchizzle site is dealing with the nominations, her blog is a great place to see whats going on around Manchester and see what other people are blogging about around the area. If you haven't been there it is at manchizzle.blogspot.com they even gave me a mention a while ago. There are lots of local blogs to nominate there, give it a look.

Stinky onion and cabbage smells to you

2009-09-02T05:03:00.001-07:00

Hello I'm fed up because I've waited in for the delivery man all morning. He is supposed to be coming from 8.00am till 1pm, now its ten past one and he's still not here so I'm not a happy bunny. It's been nice all morning and now it looks like its going to rain. Here is a picture of one of our cabbages, unlike the delivery man he is a beauty.

There are our onions. The weather has been so rainy I keep putting them out to dry out and then they get rained on. I've given up now and put them in the porch. If that delivery man is any later I'm going to rub his face in these onions, that will learn him. Where are you, you swine???

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

2009-08-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

We have had a good lot of chillis this year (unlike the peppers which have failed miserabley again). I tasted the end of one and I think smoke did actually come out of my ears. It was fine when it was cooked in a chilli though (didn't use the seeds though, not that brave). We should be able to have plenty to store too.

Berry nice

2009-08-23T07:37:00.001-07:00

Why are the best blackberries always at the top of the hedge or right in the middle so that you have to tear your arms to shreds to get to them? Anyway a few pints of blood later we managed to pick our first lot of berries.

The children managed to eat their own weight in blackberries but there were plenty left to take home.

We crumbled some of them with rhubarb, raspberries and cranberries from the plot.

Meanwhile in the greenhouse I have managed to grow my first cucumbers. A grand total of 3 all together. This is still very exciting for me because I have never grown any before. They taste a lot different, almost like melon. Our greenhouse doesn't get an awful lot of sun because of the trees behind the house so I consider these a big success.

Here are our wonderful tomatoes, again so far grand total of 2 tomatoes that are ripe. A few green ones in there still though. Oh yes and I have just passed my part time literature degree too, so I am a very happy camper hurrah!

Devon

2009-08-17T03:25:00.000-07:00

Whilst we were in Devon we went to the Broomhill Scupture Garden. They had some great things in there.

I thought that she would like nice in the corner of my garden, I couldn't afford the price tag unfortunately.

This installation called 'Welcome to the third Millenium' was by Mike Roles. It was really brilliant whilst being a little unsettling at the same time.

This is the view from Baggy Point towards the beach at Croyde Bay.

When we got home there was rather a large pile of beans waiting for us.

Croyde Bay.

This is the garden of the cottage that we were staying in. The village was called Muddiford. You could get used to looking out on views like this.

Back again

2009-08-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hi there, we've been on our jolly holidays to Devon. It's nice to get away but always good to be home. Looking forward to seeing what's been happening down on the allotment in the two weeks that we've been away. The garden has gone a bit wild so I'm sure there will be lots to see at the plot when we go down there tomorrow...

Mellow yellow

2009-07-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

These are the latest pickings from the allotment. Our first and only yellow courgette (thanks Chris) and the cauliflowers have actually worked! Can we have some sunshine now please? We have had enough rain. It is the summer holidays after all and I have actually bought some summer dresses. Yes me, in a dress. Come on sun don't be shy, you know you want to shine!

The Lakes

2009-07-29T00:44:00.000-07:00

We've been camping in the Lake District this weekend. The first few days were lovely.

Then we got a severe weather warning which turned out to be quite interesting whilst sleeping under canvas. Back home now it is a bit rainy but I won't be complaining about the rain now that I can run inside, get some dry clothes on and settle down on my comfy sofa. I recommend a bad weather camping to everyone, it helps you appreciate your nice warm house and hot shower. Good old British weather, you can't beat it.

grumps

2009-07-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

I was happily taking this photo the other day when some bloke came over complaining about my parking. He proceeded to lecture me on where to park so that I didn't block people in. I knew that when I parked the car no one else was there and that I had parked miles away from the car park. I resisted the urge to hit him hard over the head with my spade and apologised instead. When I got to my car realised he was the blocker inner and not me. He had squeezed himself in between 3 cars and couldn't get out without me moving. What an old prune. Is it wrong to tell your fellow allotmenteers to go dig off? I felt like it was but then afterwards I wasn't so sure. At least I have kept the peace between us I suppose... Sour grapes to him. Anyway, can you see the little buzzy fly going past in the sky? Breathe and relax....

Garden pest.

2009-07-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

Look at these lovely blueberries so juicy and almost ready. No wonder they have been spotted by a garden pest. Although I have had some problems with this particular pest usually I can keep it under control. This week however it has been targeting my blueberries and alpine strawberries. Instead of eating it or burrowing into it what this pest does is much worse. It picks the blueberry, throws it on the floor and then treads on it with its little feet. Luckily the pest was easy to deal with using organic methods. It was told to stop picking my blueberries or else it would have to go inside. Kids eh?

War on White Fly

2009-07-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Planted up some radish, carrot, spring onion, parsely and corriander seeds today. I finally got round to weeding my cabbage bed and as I lifted the net a nice cloud of white fly fluttered up into the air. The rotten things have been happily munching away and turning my cauliflower leaves all yellow and full of holes. The beasts.

I planted some nasturtiums around them as bait. Unfortunately the ones round the cabbages haven't flowered yet while the ones on their own have done. They look pretty though. After all my dedicated work getting some sprouts to grow I will not be beaten.

They are covered with special fly proof netting that is supposed to stop them getting in. That was worth the money, (well actually I got it for free so what am I bothered about). I didn't put any collars around them though. Next year I will be more vigilant. War is declared. I will grow a cauliflower and at least one sprout this year.

Mangey tout

2009-07-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

These flowers are nearly as tall as me. They look great, I think that they are perennial sunflowers but not sure. I think when they've finished I'm going to divide them and bring a few home to our garden.

Not quite sure what has happened to my mange touts here. Doesn't look too promising. Not sure whether to get rid of them or just leave them. The plant in the other bed is cropping like crazy.

Put my leeks in their final place today now that the earlies have been all taken out. A few of them had rust so I just put the ones in that looked to be healthy. In the picture it looks massive but really it is just a tiny little thing. Come on get growing.

Bird woman

2009-07-12T02:29:00.000-07:00

I have had to rescue another bird. This time it was a starling caught in the netting of the plot next to ours. This seems to be becoming a regular occurrence and strangely seems linked to the fact that we joined the RSPB the other day. Since we have joined the birds seem to know that we have signed up to help them and are flinging themselves at my feet. Whatever it is I don't like it. Stay away birds, no more in nearby netting please. Or I will have to withdraw my membership from the RSPB. What next a passing pelican? An albatross? No more please!

2009-07-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

I have been weeding so I don't have to feel guilty anymore.

Lovely rain

2009-07-07T02:50:00.001-07:00

Finally our plants are getting a good soaking. They were promising it all weekend but it never came. I sent up tentatively to the allotment today still in shock from my bird incident. Luckily the area was clear. As I walked down to our plot I must have startled at least 30 fat pigeons. I thought this did not bode well but our plot looks great. We got our first little courgettes today and mange tout which will do well in the stir fry tonight. I have been a bit lazy the last week or so with a cold so I haven't done anything but watering. We have managed to grow quite an impressive array of weeds during the sunny weather so I will have to get down there and do some proper work another day. I tell myself that this increases biodiversity, at least until I get round to digging them up.

Flash has been enjoying the rain too. He sat out in the showers and got a good soaking for a few hours. All the markings on his shell come out really nicely in the rain. This year he gets top marks, although he has squashed all my flower seedlings (as usual) he has managed to restrain himself from climbing over the growbags in the greenhouse.

Catch the pigeon

2009-07-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Got more than we bargained for when we went to visit the allotment yesterday. Auntie Rachel if you are reading this look away now, it is your worst ever nightmare. A trapped bird in the netting. A bird with great ugly wings and grabbing claws. Big fat flapping pigeon gasping away on its back in the heat twitching and looking at me with its beady eye. I thought it was dead but when I got close it started flapping about like a maniac. Managed to release it by cutting the netting with the scissors whilst running about squealing like a girl every time it started flapping again. Oh dear. It flew off into the sky. That will teach it to try to get my strawberries.

June Tour

2009-06-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

Come and have a tour round the allotment in June. It is all coming to life. There are plenty of blousey poppies scattered about.

The raspberries have been cropping heavily we need to build a proper cage for them later on. We're going to cover the asparagus and the raspberries together so hopefully you can walk in to pick them instead of garotting yourself or getting entangled in the net.

Onion bed. My parsnips are coming up along the side as well and the leeks are ready to get replanted into the potato bed when all the earlies have been dug up.

This is the view from my bench.

2009-06-30T05:13:00.000-07:00

We've had enough lettuce to feed Flash for the whole of June. There are plenty more for his July feast although he has getting through a lettuce a day as he is solar powered.

Runner bean bed, looking pretty good, I can see that the different varieties growing have worked as we've got purple and red pods forming on the plants.

Mary and Sam's patch has been attracting the bees. No frog in the pond but we have had a bird getting a sneaky bath.

These are the peas and the sweet peas. The sweet peas at the allotment haven't done too well this year, the plants at home are abundant and I have been really cruel to them and not watered them.

2009-06-30T05:09:00.001-07:00

We've got lots of peas but not had any pods yet. We have a few mange touts though, three to be precise.

The courgettes are enjoying the sun and rain they've been having.

This is the sweetcorn and courgette bed, there is a pumpkin plant in there somewhere too. The all look the same at the moment but once the fruits come I'm sure I'll be able to tell which is which.

Slugs eye view of the sweetcorn. This looks more impressive from underneath than it does from on top.

The cabbages and cauliflowers are looking pretty healthy so far. I've planted some nasturtiums underneath them as this is suppose to deter the white fly. The nasturtiums I planted last year were covered in blackfly so it must work but I forgot to plant them early enough to be ready with the broad beans. The man next to our plot looks like an expert, well he's old and he's got lots of stuff growing. He's put them with his cabbages too so it can't hurt.

I forgot to show you the strawberry bed, herbs and the potatoes but you get the idea. I think we've made pretty good progress since we took over. Don't you?

Spudtastic mate

2009-06-29T09:16:00.001-07:00

We harvested our earlies this week. We got more out of one plant this year than we did from our whole potato crop last year.

They were nice with some chorizo, garlic and shallots.

Beans

2009-06-26T08:57:00.001-07:00

We had our first broad bean harvest yesterday. They were great in a stir fry. Blackfly nil, me one.

Gardeners World Live

2009-06-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

I went to the gardeners world live show on 12th June with Chris. There were some great inspirational flower displays there. Angelica and astrantia are a couple of plants I would like to get growing in my garden next year. The RHS tent had some great displays in although it was not as big as the one at Tatton.

All the big names were there. Carol Klein was surrounded by a huge crowd so it was hard to hear her speak.

We listened to Alys Fowler talking about thrify gardening.

Toby Buckland was there too. The only one we didn't see was Monty Don who was there on a different day. Oh and Joe Swift but we saw him at Tatton last year so we didn't care about him. Sorry Joe.

Yum

2009-06-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

Flash has been enjoying the lettuces. He's had most of them so far. Look at him licking his lips, he knows a good lettuce when he sees one.

We've had a good crop of strawberries. Can you spot the slug? Not so appetising.

Strawberry picking is one job that everyone volunteers to help with.

They soon picked plenty, although quite a few of the plumpest didn't make it home. Yum.

Professor Yaffle

2009-06-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

This is the woodpecker who has been visiting our garden.

New Paths

2009-06-01T04:06:00.001-07:00

We are looking quite posh now as we've sorted out the majority of the paths. The woodchips have been put down and it is looking a bit more organised. I need to go and do some weeding but apart from that we are starting to look pretty good.

Beans

2009-06-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

The broad beans have started forming. Should be plenty of broad beans to eat soon!

Courgettes

2009-05-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Planted out my courgettes, pumpkins and sweetcorn.

Although you may feel like you are alone at the allotment there is always someone watching... Which is why I put them under nettting. Watch and salivate pigeon.

The birds

2009-05-26T08:55:00.001-07:00

Last week Mary came to tell me that there was an unusual bird in the garden. It turned out to be a Jay. Yesterday the woodpecker visited us three times but I didn't' manage to get a picture of him because he kept being chased away by two magpies. I got a picture of the robin and its baby who have been visiting instead. Hopefully the woodpecker will come back again.

Kids Cress

2009-05-26T08:24:00.001-07:00

The children have harvested their cress. They planted it in the shape of their initials 'M' for Mary and 'S' for Sam. They get a lot more out of the allotment when they can start picking and eating things. Sam had been picking at the sorrel and Mary made a salad out of the lettuce and chives. The broad bean tips didn't go into the salad because there were too many icky bugs feasting on them. Things are starting to look good but I'm not sure what to do with my asparagus now. The birds seem to have stripped most of it down. As you aren't meant to pick it for a couple of years I don't know if it will come back again next year now or if I should just start again.

Strange Pipe

2009-05-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't done very well at growing brassicas but the flowers are looking nice.
We discovered a hosepipe round the back of the patch. It seemed very strange that it should be there if there was no purpose to it. After being envious at other peoples irrigation systems and close proximity to water we had accepted that ours was a little further to walk but we could live with it. We followed the pipe around the patch where it disapeared into the bushes. We walked round the perimeter of the hedge where the hosepipe seemed to appear and dissapear as we walked along. Where the hedge stops for the path and gate the pipe dissapeared under the ground and popped out from the other side and then dissapeared back into the hedge again.

It went all the way down here inside the hedge and then dissapeared under the grass to reappear at the water tap.

This is the journey back after the gate where it goes all the way down here and takes a right at the bottom past next doors plot and onto ours.

We stuck a connector on and turned on the tap to see what happened and were rather chuffed to see that we had water on tap! No more long trudges back in the heat of summer with heavy watering cans when the water butt has run out. Fantastic!

Brassica brassica why won't you grow?

2009-05-12T05:21:00.000-07:00

I planted some broccoli, kale and cauliflower in the greenhouse. It grew and then it wilted and and died. I planted some inside and it died. I put some outside in pots and something ate it. I planted the seeds in the ground and it grew and then the slugs ate it. My lovely asparagus looks like it has been eaten as well. I will not be beaten, I have tried again but my seeds don't look happy. Last year I had too much of the stuff and this year I can't grow it. Not a happy woman!

What a Feast!

2009-04-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

This may not look like much but it is the first crop of the year. Eaten tonight for dinner. Why do lettuces take so long to grow? I think because I have been told they grow quickly that it feels like forever before they are ready. Lots more waiting to grow. Four radishes between four people isn't exactly a feast but it is hopefully a taste of whats to come...

Springing to Life

2009-04-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to spring into life. My climbers have started doing their thing but I am too impatient I want them all over the fence. Climb climb climb! This clematis is an evergreen variety so should add interest all year. It is supposed to fill the air with a beautiful fragrance but I can't smell anything. Oh well it looks nice. The honeysuckle I took from a cutting has now reached the top of the fence which isn't bad but it has taken 2 years to get there. Maybe I will get some flowers from it this year. Planted a wisteria called prolific although in a month it has only grown about an inch, not very prolific so far.

Have managed to run out of compost for my seeds so must have been planting a frenzy. I put my runner bean and peas plants out onto the allotment, probably a bit too early but they were getting big so I thought I'd chance it. I added some of our wormy manure to the holes before I put them in. Lets hope they like it. At least they have had plenty of rain this week. Something has been nibbling my broad bean plants, the evil creature has nibbled round the edges of all the leaves. The terrible beasts. Could this be someone sabotaging the plants perhaps? A certain person who hates broad beans? Or is it an actual bug? Who could have done such a thing? There is a bean hater in our midst and I have my eye on them... There are a few flowers on the plants but they look too small to pinch out the tops yet, might have to do it anyway.

Planted up some baby corn and transferred by tomatoes and chilli's to grow bags. Hope to improve on the huge crop of 3 chilli's that we got last year.

The pumpkin and cucumbers need re potting but I can't until I get some more compost. The poor trapped things are crying out to me. Must get to the shops...

New Life

2009-04-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world baby Elijah! The cherry trees are also in blossom at the back of the house. New beginnings and new life is everywhere.

We have harvested the first lot of compost from the wormery. The lovely stuff is going to grow a fabulous pumpkin for us (if the slugs don't get there first). Here are the little wigglers doing their very best to make some more. After a year of having a wormery my aversion to worms is lessening. Aren't they beautiful? Well maybe not.

Have planted up my peas and beans. They didn't take long to get going. We have also got pumpkin and cucumber seedlings peeping out of the soil.

Everything is starting to grow now, although so are the weeds. Some serious weeding needs to be done at the allotment now. Managed to get down with there with the children a few days ago but didn't manage to do much apart from plant the letters of their names out of cress.

Purple Haze

2009-04-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

It was nice to have some sunshine in the garden last week. The lettuces at the allotment are now doing very well under their cloches.

The sunshine brought Flash out of the greenhouse and exploring the garden, he took up his usual position sunbathing on the stones. This means that the weather is certainly hotting up although you wouldn't know it today. April is treating us to some showers.

Lovely purple sprouting broccoli. I was told not to move my broccoli plants to the new plot because they were too big and they wouldn't survive. I am glad that I don't listen to people. We have had our first crop of homegrown broccoli from the plants I moved in winter. It tastes better knowing that I was told not to move it. The people who took over our old plot chopped down all the broccoli before it had time to flower anyway. So I am glad I ignored expert advice and had a go at moving some of our plants.

The greenhouse and the porch are now full of seeds so hopefully some of them will survive and give us some good crops.

Have planted out some asparagus crowns at the allotment. Opted for Gijnlim F1 crowns, a high yielding, all male dutch variety. It is going to be a few years before we get anything from them which gives Paul plenty of time to get used to liking the stuff.

Planted under cover French Bean (Corona d'Oro and Casse Violette), Florence Fennel, Pea (Carouby de Maussane and Markana), Nasturtiums, Sunflower (Giant Single), Broccoli (Red Arrow), Gourd (Jack O'Lantern) and Pumpkin (Mars). Planted direct Coriander and Cumin. The children planted pansies and marigolds on their patch, they put two whole packets of seeds down so hopefully they will be rewarded with some flowers. Mary has also made an insect house out of some old hollow stems, tied them together and hung them from the tree in an attempt to encourage some wildlife to our patch.

Spring Time

2009-03-19T14:37:00.001-07:00

Spring is here. I actually wore a t-shirt today at the allotment. Didn't think I did much, just a bit of pottering around but judging by the aching muscles now I must have been doing more than I realised. The children have painted a sign for their little flower patch. The daffodils add a lovely bit of springtime yellow.

Put up some canes ready for the runners and planted up some sweet peas.

Happy lettuce.

Happy rhubarb. Happy me. I like the sunshine.

Oh poo.

2009-03-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

Have planted out the potatoes (Orla) the manure I put in wasn't very well rotten down and certainly not very crumbly. So if my potatoes die then it's my fault. They have two chances. Time will tell.

I have dug a trench ready for the Asparagus Crowns. The remains of the rhubarb was very hard to get out, it went on for miles. It also seems to be able to survive anything. The bit that I moved has taken off really well and when I opened the compost bin to put in some weeds there was a piece of rhubarb growing out of it, I felt sorry for it and planted it out. Seeing as it had tried so hard to cling onto life. Must be able to survive any treatment, even mine. Lets see if the potatoes are as keen to survive my treatment. If they don't I will have killed them with kindness.

Planted indoors Rudbeckia (Goldilocks Improved), Gaillardia (Arizona Sun), Kale (Dwarf Green Curled), Brussel Sprout (Fillbasket), Brussel Sprout (Red Rubine), Verbena, Sunflower (Moonwalker).

Planted direct at the allotment chives, Leek (Blue Solaise), Leef Beet (Perpetual Spinach), Carrot (Sweet Candle), Lettuce (Webb's Wonderful), Radish (Sparkler) and Beetroot (Boltardy).

Good morning Flash!

2009-03-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

Never mind the daffodils and the primroses. Spring is only ever officially here when Flash the tortoise wakes up. Yesterday he tentatively peered out from under his sacks and made his way out of hibernation.

I gave him a warm bath and he looked at me clearly delighted (?). He has now been introduced to his brand new tortoise house kindly built by Jim, and he seems to like it.

The broad beans are now ready to plant out and the sweet peas are doing well too. It is now officially Spring. Good old Flash, it's always nice to see his grumpy looking face again. He hasn't starting eating anything yet though, you'd think he'd be hungry. He will be pleased to know that the lettuce at the allotment seems to be surviving well so in a few weeks we should have some nice leaves to feed him with.

Onion Time

2009-03-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Have planted some of the onions 'Hercules'.

Given them plenty of protection from the birds who have been pulling out the emerging garlic, they won't get their hands on these babies.

Dug a beautiful trench ready for the potatoes.

First Seeds

2009-02-20T06:08:00.000-08:00

Another grey February day, but there are different kinds of colour around every corner at this time of the year.

Snowdrops pushing up through the winter ground make a welcome sight.

The first seeds are planted at the new plot. Spring Onion (Crimson Forest). Tucked them up nice and warm for safekeeping in their cloche.

New Beds

2009-02-15T13:09:00.001-08:00

Paul has built us some new beds from an old pallet. It is actually starting to look like a proper allotment now. We need more wood now so like a tramp I will be scouring the local skips.

Hurrah the mammoth rhubarb plant seems to have survived. There are a few shoots about to uncurl so it mustn't have been too upset with my rough treatment of it. Crumble here we come! The fork has snapped again now and given up. It is working its way towards just becoming a stick.

I planted my garlic and put on some of the organic fertiliser that I got over the web. It was eye wateringly strong so it has got to do some good. I dug some into the onion and garlic patch and sprinkled some on top of the soil where the salad is set to go. These are the only beds ready for planting at the moment.

The children did some digging on their patch ready to make a little pond.

Real Snow

2009-02-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

The snow came! It is the first proper snow that the children have actually seen although Sam missed it because he had a stomach bug, Mary managed to go sledging with Paul.

Had a week of frenzied digging in the previous week to get ahead before the predicted snow came. The weather men were right for once. Managed to get everything moved from the old plot that we wanted to keep so there was no need to face any blizzards to move netting or equipment.

Before. Lots of weeds including the dreaded couch grass.

After. Mostly gone. Had a good crack at it anyway before the bad weather. Managed to start thinking about the shape of things and starting marking out some paths. Found a huge rhubarb plant in the middle of the plot and moved it out of the way. Hopefully it will survive the move. It was in the wrong place anyway. Managed to snap the handle off my spade and fork in the process but they were only a few pounds each.

So far this month I have planted in the greenhouse; spring onion, (Crimson Forest), lettuce (Suzan) and some broad beans (The Sutton). They have been planted in wrapping paper tubes from Christmas that have been cut down to size instead of toilet rolls so hopefully they won't rot.

Inside I've planted cosmos (Dwarf Wonder), cabbage (Greyhound), Some chilli (Chilli Shake), parsley (French), campion (Rose and White), phlox (Cecily), tagetes (Starfire), brussel sprout (Trafalgar) and delphinium (Pacific Giant). This year I've added sharp sand and vermiculite to some multi purpose compost, we'll see if this helps my seedlings. My seedlings are now all beautifully organised in my new filing cabinet drawer, thanks Chris!

Foggy Day

2009-01-28T05:34:00.000-08:00

I have put my potatoes out on the window ledge for chitting. There are a few shoots appearing already. They are in the porch where it is light but not too hot.

A foggy day at the allotment meant that no-one else was daft enough to be there. The rain over night made the ground really easy to dig so I got lots of work done, we have even got a few paths now.

We have got some wood from an old palette we are going to use to make some beds with. There could be a few more digging in dreary days before things are ready for Spring. I have ordered some Asparagus crowns so I want things sorted before they arrive in March. When we took it over we were told there was no couch grass in there, just a few weeds. This has turned out to be false. Couch grass everwhere but the wet soil just doesn't give it anything to cling onto. So bye bye couch grass I shall return to kill the rest of your friends another day.

RSBP Birdwatch

2009-01-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

It was the RSPB birdwatch this weekend. I watched our garden for an hour and took a few pictures. I managed to get a photo of this woodpecker in the trees behind the house, although it wasn't as close as it looks in this picture.

The trees were full of goldfinches but they just don't want to come into my garden. Don't be shy come in it's nice.

We got plenty of blue and great tits.

The squirrel keeps stealing all our bird food. It gnawed through the string holding up the coconut and ran off with the whole thing. Not bad going, it must have been quite heavy for a squirrel.

The coal tit enjoyed the homemade bird feeders.

The scaredy cat robin knew I was there and kept flitting in and out of the garden.

First Seeds Of The Year

2009-01-23T08:36:00.001-08:00

The first shoots of the year. My sweet peas have started emerging. It is great when something you've planted pushes through and uncurls out of the soil.

All my seeds have arrived now waiting in their shiny new packets to be planted. I have started off some Tigerella Tomatoes and some hollyhocks and lobelia for the garden.

Moving Slowly

2009-01-16T05:41:00.001-08:00

I have moved over a couple of our purple sprouting broccoli plants. The lady in charge of the allotment told me not to because they were too big. I couldn't resist moving just a couple to see what happens. Shhhh don't tell her she will never know. It seems a shame to leave all of them for the next people who take over our old plot.

I needed to move our netting to the new plot so I imagine those that were left will be attacked by pigeons anyway. If they don't survive it makes the new plot seem more like our own now that we have got some of our own plants in there.

The last couple of times I have been to the allotment it has been really quiet. There is a reason for that. It is pretty dull, cold and rainy at the moment. I was the only person there today and it was really peaceful.

I moved over our stawberry plants to the new plot today. They did well for us last year even though they only cost a couple of pounds from the supermarket. Hopefully the move won't kill them off. The children enjoyed picking and eating them when they were ripe. Not many of them made it home.